Leesburg Voter Guide: Mayor, School Board Seat On Ballot

LEESBURG, VA — Election Day is Tuesday for voters in Loudoun County and around the country. Patch has all the details for residents looking to vote in Tuesday's general election.

The deadline for voter registration in Virginia has passed. However, people who failed to register to vote in advance can still vote with a provisional ballot and register on Election Day.

Voters will decide the 10th District Congressional race, along with Leesburg mayor and a representative to the Loudoun County School Board.

Incumbent Democrat Jennifer Wexton is being challenged by Republican Hung Cao for the 10th district congressional seat.

The 10th district "leans Democrat," according to the 2022 Cook Political Report's House race ratings.

Wexton took office in 2019 after she defeated then-incumbent Republican Barbara Comstock. She previously served in the Virginia Senate and now sits on the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Cao is a retired Navy Captain who served in a special operations unit for 25 years. Cao originally came to Virginia as Vietnamese refugee in 1975 and was a graduate of the inaugural class of Thomas Jefferson High School in 1982.

Local Candidates

Leesburg residents will also have the opportunity to vote for mayor and a representative to the Loudoun County School Board.

Here are the candidates for the Leesburg races:

• Leesburg Mayor
  • Incumbent Kelly Burk
  • Suzanne Fox
• Leesburg District School Board Representative
  • Erika Ogedegbe
  • Michael Rivera
  • Lauren Shernoff

In the race for Leesburg mayor, current Vice Mayor Suzanne Fox is running against incumbent Mayor Kelly Burk.

Burk's campaign is focused on economic development, resident involvement, and environmental sustainability, according to her website. Burk notes that she prioritizes input from residents and believes the town should start placing more emphasis on sustainability initiatives to cope with the effects of climate change.

Fox says she is running for mayor to help limit the "extreme partisanship" in Leesburg's local government, according to her campaign website. If elected, Fox says she would like to ensure Leesburg gets its "fair share" by bringing data centers and other revenue generators to the town.

"Simply put, Leesburg has been left behind," Fox said. "We have not enjoyed the same level of success as other communities have in the area."

The Leesburg seat on the Loudoun County School Board has been contentious in recent years. Residents across the county have taken issue with the school board over concerns about critical race theory, inclusive policies for transgender students, and accountability within the school board.

Former school board member Beth Barts resigned from her post in 2021. Her seat was then filled by Tom Marshall, who chose not to seek election. On Tuesday, voters will select one candidate to fill the seat in a special election. A regular election will follow in 2023.

None of the Leesburg school board candidates have political experience, but two of them have educational experience. Erika Ogedegbe currently works at American University as a Chief Data Architect. Lauren Shernoff works part-time at Loudoun County Public Schools as an English and language arts facilitator. Michael Rivera has previously worked in information technology and construction; he is now a deputy with the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.

All three candidates have expressed dismay about the partisan nature of the current school board and the toxic and controversial atmosphere that has surrounded it in recent years.

"My observations are that school boards across the United States and in Virginia have lost their way and are motivated and guided by politics and ideologies as opposed to the well-being of students and the core mission of education," Rivera said on his website. "School board members should not seek to be defined by their political position lest they succumb to the inherent evils of politics."

Ogedegbe said the school board controversies are not truly indicative of Leesburg. She says she moved to the area due to its welcoming environment.

"Many people ask me why I am stepping forward when members of our community have faced harassment and actual death threats," Ogedegbe wrote on her website. "I know that is not who we are as a community and believe we all want the best education for our children."

Rivera said his campaign priorities include "sexually explicit materials in schools," critical race theory, staff shortages, and "gender policies/political ideologies."

If elected, Ogedegbe said she would focus on investing in teaching, supporting recruitment and retention efforts for school employees, and improving communication with families.

On her campaign website, Shernoff said that her top issues include student safety, support for educators, and ensuring transparency and accountability for the school board.

Mail-in Ballots

Virginia voters do not need an excuse to request a mail-in ballot, however the deadline to request a mail-in ballot has passed.

Completed ballots must be returned to the Office of Elections by 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 or postmarked by Nov. 8 and received by noon on Nov. 14. The Loudoun County elections office is located at 750 Miller Drive, Suite C in Leesburg.

Voting on Election Day

If you're voting on Election Day, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 8. An acceptable form of identification is required to vote in person at your polling place.

Anyone who is in line before 7 p.m. will be able to vote, even if it takes longer for them to cast their ballot.

Confirm your polling place by visiting vote.elections.virginia.gov.

Unofficial election results will start to come in after polls close on the Virginia Department of Elections website. Follow Patch on Election Day for live coverage of congressional election results.